Chapter 67: He Surpassed Your Imagination

The jōnin's pupils shrank. Without hesitation, he unleashed a counterattack.

"Fire Style: Grand Flame Technique!"

A wave of roaring fire surged forward, the searing heat distorting the air as it raced toward the white streak of light.

Hiss!

The outcome was immediate. The white light pierced through the wall of fire with ease, reducing it to nothingness.

"Argh!"

A blood-curdling scream rang out as the jōnin's body exploded mid-air, blood and flesh scattering in all directions.

The Eight Trigrams: Mountain-Breaking Strike could shatter hills. Pulverizing a human body was trivial in comparison.

"What a fool," Neji said coldly, glancing dismissively at the "fireworks" now raining from the sky. Then he turned around and snarled, "You all saw that, didn't you? That's what happens when you overestimate yourself."

The display was enough to freeze those who had been planning to flee. A chill ran down their spines, and their bent knees trembled, but none dared to move a muscle.

They wanted to scream, Is that really Gentle Fist? Since when can the Hyuga Clan strike from that far away?!

But only moments later, they moved again.

Dozens of shuriken and kunai were hurled toward Neji, each one tied with explosive tags. If they were going to die anyway, they might as well take a gamble.

After all, it was clear neither this white-eyed boy nor Tsunade planned on letting them walk away.

"Heh, idiots. You really think physical attacks will work on me?"

"Eight Trigrams Palm Rotation!"

With a cold snort, Neji spun rapidly. A semi-spherical chakra barrier formed around him, repelling the incoming weapons with a series of sharp clangs.

Bang! Clang!

"Now! Detonate them!" barked the Root shinobi, eyes wide.

Boom!

A chain of violent explosions erupted. Mushroom clouds rose one after another around Neji, centered on his location. A terrifying shockwave radiated outward, flames whipping through the forest, shaking the trees with a deafening roar. The surroundings turned a hellish red under the blazing sky.

"Neji!" Shizune cried out, about to rush forward, but Tsunade yanked her back.

"That brat's not so easy to kill. Just watch."

A confident smile tugged at the corner of Tsunade's lips. After all, this was the same boy who had pulled her out of her despair and who had mastered both her techniques and Orochimaru's.

Honestly, if Neji died here, she and Orochimaru might as well retire from the shinobi world.

As the smoke began to clear, Neji strolled out from the center of the blast. Not only was he unharmed, but not a speck of dust marked his robes.

"How... how is that possible?! Those were over a hundred explosive tags!" one jōnin shouted in disbelief. Is his Palm Rotation really that strong? Even this level of destruction didn't hurt him?!

"Heh, want to know why?" Neji suddenly appeared before him, eyes cold. "Think about it in the afterlife."

A moment later, a foul, sticky liquid spewed from Neji's mouth, surging forward like a crashing wave. The jōnin's screams were quickly drowned in the hissing acid as his body slowly dissolved.

"That's the second one."

Five jōnin had come, and in the blink of an eye, Neji had taken down two. The psychological blow to the Root operatives was devastating. Even Root didn't have many elite jōnin. Danzō would be furious.

"But the angrier he gets, the happier I am."

"Now then... it's your turn."

In the next instant, Neji leapt into the air, rising high above the battlefield. His long black hair unfurled behind him like a silken fan. From within the strands, countless black needles shot outward in a dazzling arc.

Rabbit Hair Needles!

A torrential downpour of thin, jet-black needles rained down, blanketing the Root operatives in every direction. Each needle carried terrifying penetrative force and sealing power.

A single chūnin took a hit to the knee, and his entire leg stiffened instantly, paralyzed. He could only watch helplessly as more needles turned his body into a pincushion.

Another was less fortunate. One needle pierced straight through his skull and exited from below, prompting a scream from those around him. The sealing chakra left him praying for death.

The sheer speed and wide range of the Rabbit Hair Needles plunged the scene into chaos. Wails and screams echoed through the woods.

"What kind of jutsu is this? It's too fast they can't even form hand signs," Tsunade murmured, stunned by what she saw.

"Using the Byakugan to control hair as a sealing medium... a technique that immobilizes the enemy through chakra acupuncture. It's even more powerful than Gentle Fist."

As expected of one of the Legendary Sannin, Tsunade saw through the technique almost immediately. Her eyes glimmered with newfound interest in Neji.

"A true genius," she said with genuine admiration.

But then, her expression shifted. A strange feeling rose in her chest. She instantly raised a foot and stomped down hard.

Crack!

The earth shattered beneath her heel, stones breaking apart. From the rubble, a shadow burst forth.

"There was one more?!" Neji's brows rose in surprise, but then his expression sharpened. "Looks like Danzō has been experimenting with Orochimaru's techniques for years. To even slip past the Kagura Mind's Eye... impressive."

Still, the infiltration wasn't perfect. Otherwise, Tsunade wouldn't have caught it.

"Damn it!" cursed the assassin. But instead of retreating, he charged at Tsunade, kunai flashing in hand.

Their mission was clear: eliminate Tsunade so Danzō could take over as Hokage. Killing Neji was optional, though after everything they had just seen, he knew that part was already hopeless.

But Tsunade? She could still be killed.

Grinning, he raised the kunai and slashed a deep gash into his own arm. Blood sprayed forth in dramatic arcs.

Danzō had said Tsunade had a deep fear of blood. Seeing it would cripple her combat ability. The assassin sneered, already envisioning his victory.

But in the next instant, his smirk froze. Confusion, terror, and disbelief contorted his face as a fist grew rapidly in his vision.

Boom! Rocks exploded, and the ground cracked like a spiderweb. Dust and debris filled the air.

The man who had just leapt from the earth was immediately pounded back into it, followed by a merciless flurry of punches.

"You dare use blood against me? No doubt Danzō's idea. That old snake... damn him!"

Moments later, Tsunade pulled her hand away from what was left of the assassin's face, flicking her bloodied fingers with disgust.

She was furious. She was the granddaughter of the legendary Hashirama Senju, revered across the ninja world. Even shinobi from other villages addressed her as "Lady Tsunade" or "Princess Tsunade." And Danzō had dared to send someone to assassinate her with blood, no less?

If not for Neji, she might actually have died here.

At that moment, Neji strolled up casually, having finished off the remaining Root operatives.

"I imagine you still don't realize," he said calmly, eyes sharp, "Danzō's crimes go far beyond what you've seen. What he's done... it's beyond your imagination."

____________________

NEXT CHAPTER : Hope of Learning Wood Release

(Tsunade returns to Konoha with doubts still lingering in her heart but Neji's cryptic words about "Root" hint at a deeper darkness within the village. As the group passes through the gates of the Leaf, Neji unexpectedly unlocks a legendary power: Wood Release: Wood Clone, inherited from Tsunade's bloodline.

At the hospital, Tsunade reunites with familiar faces and prepares to heal Kakashi and a hilariously unrecognizable Asuma. With Tsunade's return, Konoha finally has hope again but Neji knows the true rot in the village still festers in the shadows.

Next: What secrets lie within Root... and what will Tsunade do when she learns the truth?)

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